Semiconductor light emitting devices, such as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) or laser diodes, are widely used for many applications. As is well known to those having skill in the art, a semiconductor light emitting device includes a semiconductor light emitting element having one or more semiconductor layers that are configured to emit coherent and/or incoherent light upon energization thereof. It is also known that a semiconductor light emitting device generally is packaged to provide external electrical connections, heat sinking, lenses or waveguides, environmental protection and/or other functions.
Continued developments in LEDs have resulted in highly efficient and mechanically robust light sources that can cover the visible spectrum and beyond. These attributes, coupled with the potentially long service life of solid state devices, may enable a variety of new display applications, and may place LEDs in a position to compete with the well entrenched incandescent and fluorescent lamps.
It may be desirable to provide a phosphor for an LED, for example to provide solid-state lighting. In one example, LEDs that are used for solid-state white lighting may produce high radiant flux output at short wavelengths, for example in the range of about 380 nm to about 480 nm. One or more phosphors may be provided, wherein the short wavelength, high energy photon output of the LED is used to excite the phosphor, in part or entirely, to thereby down-convert in frequency some or all of the LED's output to create the appearance of white light.
As one specific example, ultraviolet output from an LED at about 390 nm may be used in conjunction with red, green and blue phosphors, to create the appearance of white light. As another specific example, blue light output at about 470 nm from an LED may be used to excite a yellow phosphor, to create the appearance of white light by transmitting some of the 470 nm blue output along with some secondary yellow emission occurring when part of the LEDs output is absorbed by the phosphor.
As is well known to those having skill in the art, at least two techniques may be used to incorporate phosphor material into a light emission path of an LED. In one technique, the phosphor may be suspended in the packaging and/or encapsulation that is provided with the LED, so that the phosphor is maintained in proximity to the LED. In an alternative approach, the phosphor material is coated on the LED itself. When coating a phosphor, a liquid binder, such as an epoxy, may be used, in which one or more phosphors is suspended. The phosphor-containing binder may be dispensed onto the LED prior to dispensing and curing a clear encapsulation epoxy. LEDs that employ phosphor coatings are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,252,254; 6,069,440; 5,858,278; 5,813,753; and 5,277,840. Moreover, published United States Patent Application No. US 2004/0056260 A1, published on Mar. 25, 2004, entitled Phosphor-Coated Light Emitting Diodes Including Tapered Sidewalls, and Fabrication Methods Therefor, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as if set forth fully herein, describes a light emitting diode that includes a substrate having first and second opposing faces and a sidewall between the first and second opposing faces that extends at an oblique angle from the second face towards the first face. A conformal phosphor layer is provided on the oblique sidewall. The oblique sidewall can allow more uniform phosphor coatings than conventional orthogonal sidewalls.